Balling of yarns and the like



1952 F. OSBORNE 2,617,601

BALLING 0F YARNS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 4. 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Even/Z07 FRANK OSBORNE ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1952 F. OSBORNE 6 75 BALLING 0FYARNS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 4, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,l kvenzort vFRANK OsBpRNE BY M ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1952 F. OSBORNE BALLING 0F YARNS-AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1946 Ma en/ 02' N R o mME oN K N T A T R FJA Y B Nov. 11, 1952 OSBORNE 2,617,601

' 1 BALLING OF YARNS AND THE 'LIKE Filed Dec. 4, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4fwvenz'or FRA N K 08 BORIYE BY M ATT RNEY i atented Nov. 11 1952 BALLINGF YARNS AND THE LIKE Frank Osborne, Adlington, Macclesfield, England,

assignor to Wm; Ayrton & Co. Limited, Manchester, England, a Britishcompany Application December 4, 1946, Serial No. 714,023

r In Great Britain December 17, 1945 11 Claims.

This invention relates to the balling of yarns and the like such aswoolen yarns or other threads.

Balling machines are known in Whichthe' flyer and ball spindle aregeared together, and various sets of gearing are provided which can beinterchanged to produce either what is known as an ordinary lay wind ora lock-mesh wind according to the relative speeds of rotation of theflyer and ball spindle.

These different types of wind have their individual characteristics andadvantages. For instance, the lock-mesh type of wind has a pleasingexternal peripheral appearance and the ball is less liable to collapseor the yarn to become entangled as it is drawn off from inside the ball.On the other hand, the"ordinary lay wind draws off rather more easily,especially while the centre of the ball is comparatively tight, andfurthermore, the scroll effect which it provides at the ends of the:ball is generally preferred, being sometimes said to give a better ideaof the appearance of fabric made up from the yarn, than can be'obtainedfrom the end effect of the lockmesh wind. 7 v

The ordinary lay is produced when the ratio of rotation of the flyer tothe spindle is relatively high, the yarn at each turn of 'the flyerbeing laid against or close to the'yarn of the preceding turn. In sucharrangement a layer of adjacent diagonal yarns is being built up atopposite sides of the ball, which layers follow each other around theperiphery of the ball. Owing to the diagonal direction of the wind, eachlayer, as it advances, overlies the earlier yarns of the other layer andis oppositely inclined. If a firm and solid ball is required therelative ratio of rotation is set so that according to the thickness of"the'yarn and diameter of the ball'successive turns lie closelytogether. Wider spacing gives a looser ball.

the other hand, for a "lock-mesh wind the ratio between flyer andspindle is relatively low and is set for relatively wide spacing of theyarn for each turn of the flyer and so that the ratio is an integer plusa fraction or differential. Thus in a simple lock-mesh the ratio mightbe 8.01

to 1 and in such case the flyer would lay 8 diagonal turnsduring thefirst rotation of the ball but the 9th turn, due to the differential,would be laid close beside the first, the 10th close to 'the second andso on. During the first cycle or '8 turns, the opposite diagonals ofyarn form several crossovers each diagonal lyingflover'or under severalofthe others according to the value of the integer. During the secondcycle the opposite diagonals again cross each other adjacent to thecrossovers of the first cycle and in -such order that they are alternatein direction and produce a braided or herringbone effect which'spreadsaround the periphery of the ball as winding progresses. The differentialdetermines the spacing between parallel diagonals. If there is nodifierential, the turns of each cycle would lie on top of thoseof thepreceding cycle, instead of beside them, and would produce a honeycombwind, not a lock-mesh.

The object of the present invention is to combine the aforesaidadvantages of each type of wind.

According to.the invention the ball 'is wound with at least one layer oflock-mesh wind and at least one layer or thickness of ordinary lay wind.Preferably there is an outer layer of lockmesh wind on top of a layer orthickness of ordinary lay wind.

The invention also comprises an improved machine to enable the type ofwind to be changed without stopping the winding.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of'the improved machine certain of the shaftsbeing shown broken and/or somewhat displaced from their true positions,for

the sake of clearness.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections to an enlarged scale,

' on the lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section, also to an enlarged scale, on the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Inone example of a ball of yarn or thread mad in accordance with theinvention, there is a first or inner layer of lock-mesh wind followed byordinary lay wind and finished off with a layer of lock-mesh wind.

As a result, the ball has the peripheral external appearance of alock-mesh wind whilst at its ends it has the scroll effect of theordinary lay wind. In use, the initial layer of lockmesh wind reducesthe risk of entanglement in the initial stage of unwinding from thecentre. After the inner lock-mesh layer has been unwound, the yarn drawseasily as is characteristic of the ordinary lay wind whilst the outerlock mesh layer holds together in known manner even whenonly a thinshell of thread is left, especially if this be supported by an externalband.

vThe improved Winding machine illustrated is arranged to wind balls inthe manner above described, and may be for the most part of normalconstruction, its side frames 5 being connected at front and back byhorizontal angle-bars 6, 7.

The tops of the side frames 5 are also connected together at the frontof the machine by a crossmember 8 whose ends are provided with forwardlyprojecting brackets 9 upon which are angularly adjustable, about thecommon axis of their pivots [8, a pair of arms H, these latter beingfixed to the ends of a housing [2 extending horizontally across thefront of the machine.

A longitudinal shaft l3 in this housing is provided at spaced positionswith skew gears l4, whose mating gears 15 are on short transversespindles I6 carrying collapsible winding heads at their inner ends. Oneof these latter is shown at IT in Fig. 1.

Journalled in the cross-member 8, and in a further cross member I8behind the latter, are a plurality of hollow spindles 19 arranged withtheir axes parallel to the side frames and carrying fiyers 26, each ofwhich is adapted for cooperation with one of the winding heads H.

In each case the material to be wound (indicated at 2| in Fig. 2)traverses the flyer spindle l9 and is threaded through the flyer 20,which latter is caused to gyrate around the winding head H to producethereon a ball 22. The length and form of the ball 22 is determinedmainly by the angle at which the winding head axis is set in relation tothe axis of the flyer spindle l9, and is variable by appropriateadjustment at the pivots [6.

Each fiyer spindle is provided with, a centrally arranged skew gear 23,which meshes with one of a number of mating gears 24 on a shaft 25extending from side to side of the machine and provided at one end witha fast-and-loose pulley system 26.

Adjacent one side of the machine the shaft 25 carries a pinion 27 whichdrives a gear wheel 28 on a parallel shaft 29, this latter projectingbeyond the adjacent side frame 5 (in which it is supported) and driving,through gear-pairs 36, 3| and 32, 33, a short spindle 34 also supportedin the side frame 5.

The inner end of this spindle 34 is connected through bevel gears 35, 36to a worm 31 set transversely of the shafts 25, 29 and driving a wormwheel 38 on a cam shaft 39 whose ends are journalled in the lower partsof the twoside frames 5.

The machine is arranged to stop automatically as soon as the cam shaft89 has been turned through one revolution, its rotation being effectedeither by the gearing above described, or through the medium of analternative gear-train of different ratio. By this means the cam shaftmay be turned either quickly or slowly according to whether short orlong balls are to be wound.

Adjacent the other side of the machine, the shaft 25 carries a secondpinion 40which drives a gear wheel 4| on a parallel shaft 42 journalledin two spaced castings 43 which connect the rear angle-bar I to thecross-member 8.

The ends of the shaft 42 project beyond the castings 43 and carry gears44, 45, bell-crank levers 46 capable of angular adjustment about theaxis of the shaft 42 being mounted on the- One of these spindles carriesa compound gear 5|, 52 whose elements mesh, respectively, with the gear44 and a second gear 53 at one end of a shaft 54 which is mounted in oneof the castings 43 alongside the shaft 42, this shaft 54 making spigotalengagement at 55 with a coaxial shaft 55 supported in the other casting4-3.

The second spindle 56 also carries a compound gear, one element 51 ofwhich is driven from the gear 45, whilst the other element 58 drives agear 59 on the shaft 56.

The gear trains 445i52--53 and 455l-- 58-59 are of different ratio sothat one of the shafts 54, 56 will be driven faster than the other fromthe shaft 42. Further gears, interchangeable with (for example) thecompound gears 5|, 52 and 51, 58, may be supplied with the machine toprovide a variety of alternative speed ratios for the shafts 54, 56; theangular adjustment provided for the bell-cranks 46 enabling these idlegears, however arranged, to be meshed with their driving and drivenmembers.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 54 has fixed at its inner end a femaleclutch cone 60 adapted for engagement by one operative portion 6| of adouble-ended male clutch member 62 which is freely rotatable on theadjacent end of the coaxial shaft. 56. The other operative portion 63 ofthe clutch member 62 is adapted to cooperate with a second female cone64 fixed upon the shaft 56.

The male clutch member 62 is formed with a ring of gear teeth 65 inconstant mesh with a gear 56 on a parallel shaft 67, this latter beingsupported partly by one of the castings 43 and partly by a bracket 68 onthe rear angle-bar l of the machine.

A gear 69 at the outer endof the shaft 6'! drives a gear Ill on thespindle H of a pulley 12 carried by the bracket 68 and this pulley 12 isconnected by a belt 13 to a second pulley T4 freely rotatable on one ofthe pivot pins [0 associated with the gear housing l2 for the windingheadsv IT. The bracket 68 may be made angularly adjustable about theaxis of the shaft 67 to allow the tension of the belt 13 to be varied.

Associated with this pulley 74 is a gear 75 driving, through an idlergear 16 carried bythe adjacent housing arm H, a gear T1 at one end ofthe shaft [3.

The latter can thus: be driven (through the gears 65, 66, 68, l0, l5,16, 11) from either of the coaxial shafts 54, 56 according towhich ofthe latter is clutched to the member 62 carrying the gear 65.

For this purpose the clutch member 62 is made slidable endwise on theshaft 56 under the influence of an actuating lever 78 which is freelypivoted on a spindle 19 disposed at right angles to the shaft 56. Theends of this spindle 19 may be supported by the rear angle-bar l and abracket 86 depending from the cross-member 18.

The upper arm of the lever 78 is forked as at BI and the limbs of thefork engage trunnions 82 on a divided muff 83 which embraces acircumferential groove 84 in the clutch member 62.

The lower arm of the lever 18 has a V-shaped end 85 which cooperateswith a catch-lug 85 of similar shape on a swinging lever 8'! pivotedupon one of the side frames 5, and urged upwardly by a spring 88 whichtends to hold the lug in contact with the lever end 85.

Fixed to the shaft 39 is a double-sided face cam 89, whose operativesurfaces are engaged by bowls 90 at the lower ends of two freely-pivotedlevers 9| which depend from the spindle 79 and are drawn towards oneanother by a tension spring 92.

The cooperation of the V-shaped lug 86 with the end 85 of the lever 18presses the latter towards one or the other of its extreme positions;that is to say it always holds the driven clutch member 62 in engagementwith one or other of the two driving cones 60, 64.

The cam 89 comprises a central or hub portion having flanged rings(whose outer edges provide the operative surfaces 93) secured thereto,by bolts 94 passed through elongated holes in the rings, so thatrecesses 95 in both faces 93 may be angularly adjusted with reference toone another and to the hub portion aforesaid. Each such recess has itsleading end perpendicular to the plane of the cam 89 and the other endinclined.

As illustrated, the cam 89 rotates in the direction of the arrow (Fig.2). with the right hand cam recess somewhat in advance of the other, thebowls 90 associated with both levers 9| running on the level faces ofthe cam until first one, and then the other, bowl reaches the adjacenrecess.

In Fig. 4, the right-hand lever 9| is shown in the position it assumeswhen allowed by the cam 89 to move inwards under the action of thespring 9'2, and it will be appreciated that this inward swing of thelever 9| results in an adjustable abutment 96 thereon coming sharplyinto contact, at a predetermined instant, with the lower arm of thelever 18, whose V-shaped end 85 is thus forced past the catch lug 86into the position shown. In this way the driven clutch member 62 isdisengaged from the cone 6|] and brought firmly into engagement with theother cone 64, being locked in this position by the catch lug 86.

On further movement of the cam 89, the righthand lever 9| is forcedoutwards as its bowl 99 I rides up the inclined end of the adjacent camrecess 95, the spring 92 remaining under the full tension thus imposeduntil the cam 89 has turned sufiiciently to bring its other recess 95beneath the bowl of the left-hand lever 9|, which then moves inwardsunder the pull of the spring 92. As the adjustable abutment 96 carriedby the lefthand lever 9| strikes the lower arm of the lever 18, thelatter is operated to shift the clutch member 62 back into engagementwith the cone 6|], in which position it is locked by the catch lug 86.

The part of each lever 9| adjacent the bowl 90 is provided with aflat-based angular projection 91 which is normally just clear of the camsurface 93. As soon as the bowl 90 passes over the end of the associatedrecess 95, this projection 91 comes into operation and results in asharp inward movement of the lever 9| as its lower end enters the camrecess.

In operation, the machine above described can be adjusted so as to windballs having any desired combination of the ordinary lay and lockmeshwinds, or alternatively it can be used to Wind balls throughout witheither type of wind. However the balls are wound, the change-over fromone type of wind to the other is effected without stopping productionmerely by shifting the clutch member 62 endwise as above described.

In the construction illustrated, the change-over is producedautomatically by means of the adjustable cam 89 and associated actuatingmechanism, but obviously it may be effected manually if desired, theobject in either case being to instantaneously alter the rotationalspeed of the shaft I3 in relation to that of the shaft 25, and hence therelative speeds of the winding heads I! and flyers 20.

6 Winding machines have, of course, already been fitted with variablespeed gearing which is changeable during running to provide foralteration of the pitch of an ordinary lay. wind to suit the graduallyincreasing diameter of the ball, but not providing a change in the kindof wind.

Obviously, the invention includes any desired combination of the twokinds of wind,with or without variation of pitch therein and is notlimited to the details of the example above described in so far as suchdetails may be modified without departing from the nature of theinvention.

I declare that what I claim is: 1 1. A machine for balling yarns andthe'like comprising at least one winding head, -,a flyer adapted to laythe yarn upon said winding head, a, main driving shaft, gearing of fixedratio connecting said driving shaft to said flyer, a'layshaftpermanently geared to said driving. shaft, separate variable gear-trainsof difierentiratio driven from said layshaft, aligned clutch shaftsrotated through the medium of said gear-trains, female cone clutchmembers fixed to said aligned, shafts; a double-ended male-clutch memberinterposed between said female members, gearing of fixed ratioconnecting said male clutch member to said winding head, and means formoving said male clutch member so as to disengage it from one, andengage it with the other, of said complementary clutch members forvarying the type of wind.

2. A machine for balling yarns and the like, comprising at least onewinding head, a, flyer adapted to lay the yarn upon said winding head, amain driving shaft, gearing of fixed ratio connecting said driving shaftto said flyer, a layshaft permanently geared to said driving 'shaft,separate variable gear-trains of different ratio driven from saidlayshaft, aligned clutch shafts rotated through the medium of saidgear-trains, female cone clutch members fixed to said aligned shafts, adouble-ended male clutch member interposed between said female members,gearing of fixed ratio connecting said male clutch member to saidwinding head, a double-sided cam geared for rotation at a predeterminedspeed relatively to said driving shaft, swinging levers adapted to beoperated alternately by opposite sides of said cam, and a third leveradapted to be displaced first in one direction and then in the other bythe alternate operation of said swinging levers, said third lever beingoperatively connected to said male clutch member so that the latter isperiodically disengaged from one, and engaged with the other, of saidcomplementary clutch members to vary the type of wind.

3. A machine for balling yarns and the like on a winding spindle whichincludes means for driving both a winding spindle and a flyer adapted tolay the yarn thereon, said driving means comprising in series a firstchange speed mechanism giving alternative high and low ratios betweenits input and output members to change the speed ratio between thespindle and the flyer abruptly during the winding process, so as tochange the type of wind in a ball from ordinary lay to lock mesh or viceversa without stopping the machine, the input member of that mechanismhaving a constant speed ratio relatively to the flyer, and a seconddrive mechanism receiving the drive from said first mechanism and givinga predetermined ratio between the output member of said first mechanismand the winding 7 spindle for the. close winding. of particular yarnsizes.

4. A machine for balling yarns according to claim 3, furthercharacterised in that thelchangeover from. one. type of Wind to theother (e. g. from ordinary lay to lockmeshfi orvice versa) includes a.clutch device adapted to bring into engagement. alternative gear trainsof difierent gear ratios whereby the output member is driven either.atone speed to give ordinary lay wind or at another. speed to give lock.mesh wind, said output member driving a member which is permanentlygeared to the winding spindle through the said further change speedmechanism, the flyer being driven at constant speed.

5. A machine. for balling yarns according to claim Zwherein each of saidswinging levers has an-adjustable threaded member positioned so as toengage and displace said third lever when the swinging levers areoperated.

6. A machine for balling yarns according to claim 4'and havingadjustable means for varying the time of speed change in the first-namedmechanism.

7. A machine for balling yarns according to claim 4', furthercharacterised in that the clutch device comprises a, driven elementconnected by gearing to the winding spindle and disposed between. twocoaxial driving elements rotating at difierent speeds, said drivenelement being engageable with either of said driving elements.

8. A machine for balling yarns according to claim 7, furthercharacterised in that the driven element of the clutch device comprisesa doubleended cone which is slidable to bring either end thereof intoengagement with the adjacent coaxial driving element, the latter beingof complementary shape.

9. A machine for balling yarns according to claim7, furthercharacterised in that the driven 8 element is actuated automaticallythrough the medium of a rocking lever controlled by a cam rotating atapre-determined speed relatively to the fiyer.

10. A machine for balling yarns according to claim 8, furthercharacterized in that the driven element is actuated automaticallythrough the medium of a rocking lever controlled by a cam rotating at. apredetermined speed relatively to the flyer.

11. A machine for balling yarnsaccording to claim 9, furthercharacterized'in that the rocking lever is positively displaced from oneextreme position to the other through the medium of spring-loaded leversengaging opposite sides of the cam;

' FRANK OSBORNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 262,412 Hirt Aug. 8, 1882 390,361Good Oct..2, 1888 399,339 Miner Mar. 12, 1889 486,745 Wardwell Nov. 22,1892 730,635 Good June 9, 1903 836,327 Mackie Nov. 20, 1906 1,208,746Cavanagh Dec. 19, 1916 1,340,837 Rice May 18, 1920 2,150,309 Atwell Mar.14, 1939 2,268,554 Abbott Jan. 6, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 9,876 Great Britain of 1908 9,877 Great Britain of 1908 15,385Great Britain Dec. 15, 1885

